Mental Health Summit
(Conference registration is closed, but we still have ALOK tickets available! ALOK will perform at 4 p.m. Tickets are $50)

When:  8:45 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023

Location: DoubleTree by Hilton, 123 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah, WI 

Join us for our 2nd annual LGBTQ Mental Health Summit! We are excited to bring ALOK to the Fox Cities for what will be an amazing day of education, advocacy and celebration. Whether you are a member of the community, provider, educator, or ally, join us in solidarity to support the LGBTQ community.

LGBTQ people experience alarmingly high rates of mental health challenges due to a multitude of heightened risk factors related to the stress caused by discrimination, stigma and bias in all its forms. LGBTQ youth and adults face an extraordinarily elevated risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Join us as we come together to support the LGBTQ+ community and build up protective factors, including social supports and access to LGBTQ-affirming mental health and medical care and other supports.

At the Summit, you can:
• deepen your understanding of issues facing the LGBTQ+ community;
• network with others in our community and from across the state;
• learn what organizations and individuals are doing to advance the mental health,
safety, fairness, and inclusion in the LGBTQ+ community in Wisconsin; and,
• join efforts to ensure LGBTQ+ protections in Wisconsin
• earn Continuing Education (CE) credits, according to DSPS Administrative Code MPSW19.

In addition to the planned sessions, the conference will feature an art space, where attendees can take a take a break and enjoy a calm, self-directed space for emotional regulation.

 

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

All CME sessions are in purple!

8 – 8:45 a.m.

Registration & Breakfast
Check in and pick up your name tag at the registration table, and enjoy a continental breakfast.

 

8:45 – 9:15 a.m.

Plenary Session (CME)
Location: Gov. Doty Ballroom A & B
Reiko Ramos (they/them), Director of Statewide Anti-Violence Programs, Diverse & Resilient
This opening session is for all conference attendees and will serve as a moment to ground everyone with some shared understanding of the importance of inclusive & affirming mental health services. All attendees will set intentions to listen, learn, and center the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community throughout the conference, and commit to using this experience to improve mental health access and outcomes for LGBTQ+ people. This session will include an overview of the Fox Cities Mind Your Wellness Survey data and the BIPOC & LGBTQ+ community-specific recommendations that came out of the survey. Diverse & Resilient will provide context for the data and recommendations based on what they have seen and witnessed in their advocacy for LGBTQ+ people.

9:25 – 10:35 a.m. (choose from 3 sessions)

QTBIPOC: Health and Wellness – Systemic Inequities and Beyond
Location: Gov. Doty Ballroom A
Chris Allen, President & CEO, Diverse & Resilient
Our mental health is an encompassing dynamic state of balance that enables us to interact with the world around us which includes establishing harmonious relationships with others, the ability to recognize and express healthy emotions, basic cognitive skills, the flexibility and ability to cope with life’s stressful changes, and the ability to take care of our physical bodies in a healthy way. In this workshop we will examine some of the unique barriers and challenges in access to quality mental health care for QTBIPOC. We will also increase knowledge and improve practice in order to achieve more equitable mental health outcomes for QTBIPOC.

 

Understanding and Affirming LGBTQ+ 101 (CME)
Location: Riverside Ballroom A
Keira Kowal Jett (they/them), Community Education & Outreach Advocate – Diverse & Resilient
The session will cover key knowledge that is essential to your work as an ally. Expect to learn about affirming language and pronoun use, get a snapshot of the challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community, and discover how to best support the LGBTQ+ people in your life.

 

Spoken Word for Self-Exploration: Finding Inner Harmony through Verbal Artistry
Location: Riverside Ballroom B
Andrew McKee (they/he), LGBTQ+ Anti-Violence Program Advocate – Diverse & Resilient
This 70-minute, interactive spoken word poetry workshop aims to provide a safe and supportive space for participants to explore their emotions, enhance their self-regulation skills, and foster a sense of community through the art of spoken word poetry. It combines creative expression, self-reflection, and peer support to promote mental well-being and personal growth.

 

10:45 – 11:55 a.m. (choose from 3 sessions)

LGBTQ+ Gender Affirming Care: Creating Inclusive Spaces in Mental Health – Part 1 (CME)
Location: Riverside Ballroom A
Kathleen Schiltz (she/they), Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
This is part one of a two-part session designed for mental health providers to gain skills and knowledge on providing inclusive and affirming care to LGBTQ+ individuals. Topics will include identity development, standards of care models, letters of support, inclusive documentation, and more. Participants will need to have basic understanding of LGBTQ+ language and terminology before attending this session and should plan to attend both parts 1 and 2 of this session.

 A Look at Anti-Trans Legislations and What YOU Can Do About it (CME)
Location: Gov. Doty Ballroom A
Raphael Miller (they/he/she), Community Advocate
In 2023 alone, 566 anti-trans bills have been introduced across the country. This number is not an invitation to live in fear but something to be made aware of. In knowing this, we can either remain stagnant, thus giving into a cycle of fear perpetuated by anti-Trans legislators, or we can do the opposite by leaning into activation; we can create the empowered, Trans futures that we want to see. The first step is educating ourselves on these issues as they present themselves, followed by understanding their impact and taking action. Join us as we explore attempts to pass anti-Trans legislation in Wisconsin and across the country, its impact on the Trans community, the work being done to block these bills, and what
we can do to move to a future where Transness is celebrated.

Kindle the Spark, Tend the Fire: Igniting Change Your Way
Location: Riverside Ballroom B
Nick Ross (they/them), Anti-Violence Advocate – Diverse & Resilient
Each one of us is necessary to create the lasting change we want to see in the world, and each one of us has a unique but equally important role to play. Learn how to identify the roles and changemaking strategies that best fit your own brilliance, and how to put those strategies into action. From grassroots activism, to organizing for mutual aid, to running for office and beyond, there’s no “one” way to make a positive impact on your community–only your way!

 

 

12 – 12:45  p.m.  Lunch!
Buffet lunch will be served in hotel restaurant and lounge

 

12:55 – 2:05 p.m. (choose from 3 sessions)

Gender Affirming Care: Creating Inclusive Spaces in Mental Health – Part 2 (CME)
Location: Riverside Ballroom A
Kathleen Schiltz (she/they), Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
This is part two of a two-part session designed for mental health providers to gain skills and knowledge on providing inclusive and affirming care to LGBTQ+ individuals. Topics will include identity development, standards of care models, letters of support, inclusive documentation, and more. Participants will need to have basic understanding of LGBTQ+ language and terminology before attending this session and should plan to attend both parts 1 and 2 of this session.

Mental Health Toolkit Workshop (CME)
Location: Riverside Ballroom B
Nathaniel Fores (he/him), Registered Nurse Case Manager
Corynn Stoltenberg, Mental Health Counselor
This workshop will be collaborative space for knowledge sharing among LGBTQ+ community members and providers to discuss what safety, competency, and affirming care looks like as defined by folks with LGBTQ+ lived experience. Providers in the space will listen and learn while sharing insider knowledge on navigating access to mental health and healthcare. This session will be co-facilitated by professionals who are both part of the LGBTQ+ community and highly skilled at navigating care systems for themselves and for others.

Sharing Wisdom Through Song
Location: Elisha Smith Room
Betsy Kowal Jett (pronouns), Singer, Creative & Community Artist
Keira Kowal Jett (they/them), Community Education & Outreach Director, Diverse & Resilient
Join us for time to discern and share inner wisdom through collaborative songwriting. This session will include grounding and centering, individual reflective journaling, and lyric and melody creation in small groups. No musical experience needed! This space is designed for LGBTQ+ people.

 

2:15 – 3:25  p.m. (choose from 2 sessions)

Gender Diverse Youth & Families (CME)
Location: Riverside Ballroom A
Isaac Kabacinski (he/him), Clinical Therapist, MSW, APSW
Attend this provider-focused session to learn more about supporting gender diverse youth and their families in ways that meet the individual young person’s needs while providing education, communication skills, and relationship building for families.

Ending Stigma for LGBTQ+ & HIV-Affected Communities (CME)
Location: Riverside Ballroom B
Anthony Harris (he/him), Manager of Prevention & Care Services, Diverse & Resilient
Lorenzo Rivas (he/him), Manager of Prevention & Care Services, Diverse & Resilient
Justin Roby (he/him), Director of Finance & Human Resources, Diverse & Resilient
HIV stigma can manifest in many ways including discrimination, prejudice, and violence and can impact individual identity development, interpersonal communication, community engagement and ultimately impedes people living with HIV from reaching optimal health and mental health outcomes. This will be an educational session for participants to learn about and address misconceptions, bias, and harm that are caused by HIV stigma. Providers and community members will gain knowledge on best practices for treatment and prevention efforts rooted in dignity giving on the individual level.

 

Networking
Location: In the lounge
Need some time process all that you are learning? Want to connect with others at the conference? Head to Riverside Ballroom B for some networking time. 

3:25 – 3:55  p.m. Break & Snack

Break & Snack
Location: Riverside Ballroom lobby

4 – 5 p.m. ALOK

ALOK
Location: Gov. Doty Ballroom
ALOK (they/them) is an internationally acclaimed author, poet, comedian, and public speaker. As a mixed-media artist their work explores themes of trauma, belonging, and the human condition. They are the author of Femme in Public (2017), Beyond the Gender Binary (2020), and Your Wound/My Garden (2021) and the creator of #DeGenderFashion: an initiative to degender fashion and beauty industries. In recognition of their work, they have been honored as the inaugural LGBTQ Scholar in Residence at the University of Pennsylvania and awarded a GLAAD Media Award and Stonewall Foundation Visionary Award. Over the past decade, they have toured in more than 40 countries, most recently selling out their runs at the Soho Theatre in London, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the Kennedy Performing Arts Center. Their show has been described as “provocative and powerful”, a “potent combination of comedy and poetry”, and a “Jaw-dropping celestial event”. On screen, they will make their feature film debut in Absolute Dominion opposite Patton Oswalt and next can be seen in Emmie Lichtenberg’s film Complicated Order opposite Midori Francis. On television, they have appeared on Hulu’s Planet Sex with Cara Delevingne, ABC’s PRIDE: To Be Seen – A Soul of A Nation, Netflix’s Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness, HBO’s Random Acts of Flyness and The Trans List.